{"id":39718,"date":"2026-06-16T22:27:38","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T03:27:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/?p=39718"},"modified":"2026-06-16T22:28:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T03:28:19","slug":"leadership-in-community-with-vivian-huelgo-and-terra-russell-slavin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/leadership-in-community-with-vivian-huelgo-and-terra-russell-slavin\/","title":{"rendered":"Leadership in Community with Vivian Huelgo\u00a0and Terra Russell-Slavin"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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At Esperanza United, we know no single organization or person is going to end domestic and sexual violence alone \u2013 it takes communities working together.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0why Latina leadership and community-based solutions are two of our organizational values.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>

To advance this strengths-based approach, Esperanza United\u00a0President\u00a0and CEO\u00a0Vivian Huelgo, J.D.,<\/a>\u00a0interviews leaders whose work is creating change, advancing equity, and strengthening communities across the country. Through these conversations, we celebrate the people behind the work,\u00a0reflect on\u00a0lessons in leadership, and share our collective vision for a future free from violence.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>

In this edition, Vivian speaks with\u00a0Terra Russell-Slavin<\/a>, Chief Strategy Officer at the\u00a0Los Angeles LGBT Center.<\/a>\u00a0With\u00a0more than two decades of experience advancing justice, equity, and support for LGBTQ communities, Terra reflects on the courage leadership requires during times of uncertainty, the importance of mentoring emerging leaders, and their vision for a future where everyone can live with dignity, safety, and the freedom to thrive. Pues,\u00a0vamos:\u00a0<\/em><\/p>

Vivian:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0One of our organizational values is Latina Leadership, what does leadership mean to you?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Terra:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>To me, leadership begins with the courage to take responsibility\u2014especially in moments of uncertainty or crisis. It means standing firmly in both our organizational and personal values, even when it is difficult to do so. True leadership also requires centering those most impacted by today\u2019s ongoing attacks on our communities and recognizing when the most powerful thing we can do is listen, follow the lead of others, and act in solidarity.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Vivian:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0How do you mentor or support the next generation of leaders?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Terra:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Being an effective mentor starts with humility\u2014by intentionally listening to and learning from the next generation. From there, I focus on helping emerging leaders\u00a0identify\u00a0their passions, cultivate their strengths, and claim their voices. I aim to create opportunities for them to build new skills, take thoughtful risks, and experiment with\u00a0new approaches, while offering guidance and encouragement along the way.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Vivian:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0What is a lesson you learned recently that surprised you?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Terra:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>I\u2019ve\u00a0been powerfully reminded that progress is not inevitable. The gains our communities have made can never be taken for granted; they\u00a0require\u00a0constant vigilance, engagement, and care. This lesson\u00a0reinforces for\u00a0me that our work is ongoing\u2014and that sustaining progress demands both urgency and collective responsibility.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Vivian:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0One of our other organizational values is living free from violence, what\u00a0does a violence-free future look like to you?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Terra:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>A violence-free future is one where everyone\u2014especially those pushed to the margins\u2014can live with dignity, safety, and autonomy. It means far more than the absence of physical harm. It includes bodily autonomy, access to culturally affirming resources, and the freedom to live full, joyful lives; lives where people are not just surviving but truly thriving.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Vivian:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0Gratitude is so important: Tell me about something you are grateful\u00a0for?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Terra:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>I am deeply thankful for my immediate and chosen family and friends, who have\u00a0shown up for us with\u00a0so much care and love, especially in the wake of the Altadena fire.\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0also grateful for the small, everyday moments, like my child dancing to Lady Gaga or a client\u2019s success story. These moments fuel my resolve and remind me why this work matters so deeply.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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About Terra Russell-Slavin<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/h3>

Chief Strategy Officer <\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span>| Los Angeles LGBT Center<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Terra Russell-Slavin (she\/they) is the Chief Strategy Officer at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. The Center is the world\u2019s largest provider of specific programs and services for LGBTQ people, with a staff of more than eight hundred people. Terra has executive oversight over a broad range of policy, legal, and programmatic areas, including the operation of the National LGBTQ Institute on Intimate Partner Violence.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In their 20 years at the Center, Terra has also served as the Chief Impact Officer, Director of Policy and Community Building, and as Lead Staff Attorney, where they oversaw the provisions of care to hundreds of LGBTQ survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and hate crimes. Terra chairs the LGBTQ Subject Matter Committee for the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence. They were a leader in the efforts to obtain the first ever non-discrimination provisions in federal law based on sexual orientation and gender identity as part of the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Terra has a bachelor\u2019s degree from Pitzer College and J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law. She\u00a0resides\u00a0in Altadena, CA with her wife and child.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At Esperanza United, we know no single organization or person is going to end domestic and sexual violence alone \u2013 it takes communities working together.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0why Latina leadership and community-based solutions are two of our organizational values.\u00a0 To advance this strengths-based approach, Esperanza United\u00a0President\u00a0and CEO\u00a0Vivian Huelgo, J.D.,\u00a0interviews leaders whose work is creating […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":39741,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","footnotes":""},"categories":[468],"tags":[36,34,158,38,39,197],"class_list":["post-39718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-es-2","tag-family-advocacy","tag-free","tag-prevention","tag-public-policy","tag-research-and-evaluation","tag-training-and-technical-assistance"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39718"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39718\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39736,"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39718\/revisions\/39736"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}